City has Rejected Second or "revised" application

[Ed Gilgor]

The City has rejected the "revised" or second application submitted.  The letter of rejection can be found at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzhPwP7Vp7L6RTE2U094Rm9seFk/edit?usp=sharing

NPU-W recommends that all interested persons review rejection letter for the details.

NPU-W will reproduce one portion of the rejection letter herein, that regarding the adopted street grid plan, which applicant sought to ignore:

"Staff is not supportive of the request for this variation from the adopted grid street layout as it does not satisfy the public purposes or intent nor provide for public protection to an equivalent or greater degree. The updated site plan is not consistent with the recommendations of both Plans adopted by City Council as required by the Beltline zoning regulations. These plans envisioned an orderly pedestrian-scaled street grid that creates urban scale development blocks, while providing local circulation that reduces traffic impacts on arterial and collector roads, such as Glenwood Avenue, and providing pedestrian/bicycle access from the surrounding neighborhood. The new streets proposed - especially the northernmost street that serves as an extension of Faith Avenue and fronts the proposed big box site -deviates from the adopted plans by creating an offset intersection with the proposed Chester Avenue extension. The offset intersection along Faith Avenue reduces the efficiency and capacity of the proposed street network at a key point, creating a roadway that functions more like an internal driveway to the development than a publicly accessible street intended to distribute traffic throughout the grid. This makes it less likely that the network would realize the transportation benefits called for in the adopted plans. Furthermore, the location of the proposed Faith Avenue extension is also south of the alignment proposed in the adopted plan and creates a larger development block than called for in the adopted plans. Staff recommends the applicant modify the site plan to adhere to the adopted street grid plan."

NPU-W's position is that not only is it inappropriate for Planning to allow a variation from the street grid, but that since the street grid plan has been adopted twice in City ordinances, any variation must come from the City Council and Mayor.

As a final note, NPU-W's position is that since this application has been rejected, it is resolved and any other submission by the applicant is a new application.

The City's position appears to be that an applicant can submit an endless number of "revised" applications and there is no time limit on how long an applicant can wait until the next submission.

NPU-W has no information regarding whether the applicant intends to submit a third application or whether applicant will allow its option to purchase the LaFarge property expire.  If the applicant does make another submission, NPU-W hopes that it will be one reflective of the Beltline Vision, and not that of a suburban shopping center which for some reason appears to be the only "vision" applicant has offered thus far.

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Questions: 
If anyone has any questions about these comments, or anything else, 
please email me at edward...@gmail.com. 
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Note: NPU-W has also set up a Facebook page to disseminate accurate 
and current information regarding this application. This may be found 
at: https://www.facebook.com/800GlenwoodAveSAP 

Please feel free to share this email with anyone who you think might 
share an interest in this topic. 

Thank you. Ed.